International Tongue Twister Day

About fifteen years ago, I spent the summer working with elementary school aged boys in a treatment centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. They boys who lived in the group home loved to test the new staff by having them read Dr. Seuss’ Fox in Socks out loud. I’m still proud of the fact that I was the first staff member to read through the whole book without stumbling!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the classic, it’s basically one long tongue twister, culminating in this final, head-imploding couplet:

“When a fox is in the bottle where the tweetle beetles battle with their paddles in a puddle on a noodle-eating poodle, THIS is what they call…
 
…a tweetle beetle noodle poodle bottled paddled muddled duddled fuddled wuddled fox in socks, sir!”

So yeah, I have a small talent in this area. Did you know that November 8th is International Tongue Twister Day? In honour of this twisted day, I’ve gathered some favourite tongue twisters here. Try your luck, challenge your friends, and share your favourite tongue twisters in the comments!

Betty Botter bought some butter,
“But,” she said, “this butter’s bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
It will make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter –
That would make my batter better.”
So she bought a bit of butter,
Better than her bitter butter,
And she baked it in her batter,
And the batter was not bitter.
So ’twas better Betty Botter
Bought a bit of better butter.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

I’m not the pheasant plucker,
I’m the pheasant plucker’s mate.
I’m only plucking pheasants
‘Cause the pheasant plucker’s late.
(Don’t try this one in front of the kids!)

Red leather, yellow leather.
Red leather, yellow leather.
Red leather, yellow leather.
Red leather, yellow leather.
Red leather, yellow leather.

She sells seashells by the sea shore.

The Leith police dismisseth us.

Gertie’s great-grandma grew aghast at Gertie’s grammar.

If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?

Irish wristwatch, Swiss wristwatch. (I’ve never been able to get through this one!)

Seventy seven benevolent elephants.

The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.

 
Got a favourite not listed here? Please share with us in the comments!